The Blue Bird's Melody
by Ray'o'Sunshine
Summary: When Peter's grandfather dies, his father asks him to take over his grandpa's farm. Peter, already caught up in the good life, accepts grudgingly and promises to stay only for one year. But can someone encourage him to stay longer? Peter is Jack.
1. Changes

So here's the new story. Sorry for the wait, I've been swamped with schoolwork.

This story takes place in the game Hero of Leaf Valley for PSP. I realize that it's not as popular, but I love it. As soon as I saw Aurelia in the game, I knew I just _had_ to make a story with her. If you don't know who she is, I recommend you read about her on google or wiki, to get a good idea of her character. She is by far my most favourite character in this game. Oh, and Peter is Jack, the main boy character.

Hope you enjoy! :)

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><p><strong>Peter's POV<strong>

Ugh. What a horrible day. I can't even think straight.

Just yesterday, I got news of my grandfather's death. Though I was away at college, my father insisted that I come home for Grandpa's funeral. Because I trusted my dad, I left my school work, my friends, and my belongings, and went back to my hometown to watch the burial ceremony. I thought I would be going back to school the next day. Little did I know, I wouldn't be going back at all.

I had been close to Grandpa. Throughout my childhood I had spent every weekend at his farm in Leaf Valley where we taught me many things. It was him who taught me to fish, to swim, to cook, to garden, and to take care of animals. I wanted to have a farm just like him when I grew up. He was my idol, and I admired him. That is, I admired him as a child.

Don't get me wrong; I always loved my grandpa, but as I grew older, he just seemed to be less cool. I saw him from time to time, but soon enough I was off to college, studying to become an architect. I no longer had the dream of owning a farm like he did. I go caught up in fads, friends, and fun. I was dating pretty girls all the time. At one point I even had two girlfriends at once. But that was my life. And I knew nothing else.

As the casket was lowered into the ground, I thought back to my childhood and the fun I had had with grandpa. In fact, I kind of missed it. I remembered how much I had admired him as a child. Some guilt came over me for not visiting him. I hadn't even gotten the chance to say goodbye. In fact, the last time I saw him was over a year ago.

Though I was sensitive at heart, peer pressure had trained me to hold everything in. I didn't want to express my feelings for fear of being made fun of. Even at the funeral, with no one but relatives, I did not cry. I was a grown man, 24 years old. Tears were for kids.

After the funeral, I started packing to go back to college. I had rock music blaring from the radio in my room, so I didn't hear my dad knock on the door. He came right in and scared me to death.

"Holy shit, Dad! What the hell?" I shouted.

"Hey, hey, there's no need to swear. I knocked on your door three times. Calm down," my dad replied.

I took a deep breath. My father walked over to my radio and clicked the power button.

"I just wanted to talk to you," he said. "Now listen, Peter. My father, and your grandfather, was a good man. You know that. He was selfless, always doing everything for us, and especially you, being his only grandchild. But he did have one wish. Remember Peter? He wanted someone to take over his farm when he passed on. Someone to keep all of his hard work going. And I was wondering if you would do that."

I stared at my dad in shock. Was he joking? Give up my career? Give up my friends? My girlfriend? All _my_ hard work?

"Dad! No way! I mean, c'mon, I can't just leave everything behind! I still have two years of college! I have friends there! And a girlfriend! You think I'm just gonna drop everything to go watch grandpa's farm? He's dead now. It's not like he remembers his wish!"

My dad stared at me in disgust. "Peter, what happened to you?" he said in a quiet voice. "You used to be a good boy. Always thinking of others, willing to help." He shook his head. "When you stopped seeing grandpa, you truly changed. Do you have no heart? Wouldn't you want your grandpa to know that you care about him?"

Ugh. The guilt trip. "Ok, whatever…" I groaned. "I'll do it. But I'm only watching the farm until you can find someone else. Grandpa had three sisters. Get one of their kids to take over the farm."

"Peter…" my dad started.

"No, dad. I'm not leaving everything I've worked for. I'll stay for a year. That's it. If there's no one to take the farm after that, then it's history."

I shook my head in annoyance, and walked out the door with my bag. I said goodbye to my mother quickly, and started off for Leaf Valley.

I knew the route be heart. Leaf Valley was about an hour's drive from my hometown. As I jumped in my car, and turned the key, I saw my dad in the window. He had a disappointing look on his face, but also a look of sorrow. I ignored him, not even raising a hand to wave.

Whatever. I brushed the thought away.

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><p><strong>Aurelia's POV<strong>

"Aurelia! Aurelia, where are you? Please hurry up, we must be going!" Chester called.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming Ches, hold your horses," I replied.

We were on our way to Leaf Valley, the new town that Chester had been called to. Being a priest, he traveled wherever he needed to go. The old priest had passed on, and the ministry knew that Chester was next in line. They offered for him to live in the church in Leaf Valley, but the catch was that _we_ had to fix it up. I guess it must be in pretty bad shape.

Welcome to my life. Aurelia, a 30 year old pink haired woman with no goal. Yep. That's me.

I didn't have much of a life. My parents died when I was only four, and having no where else to go, I grew up in the Abbey. They nuns raised me from child to teenager to adult, and taught me their ways. So naturally, I would become a nun too, right? Well, it didn't quite happen like that. You see, I was never the "nun" type. I don't know if I'm the way I am because I was alone throughout my childhood, but I do know that I'm not your typical girlie-girl. Some might call me abrasive and a bit outspoken.

Chester calls me an onion. It's a pretty funny analogy when you think about it. You see, Ches thinks that my "outside layer" is too harsh. He says he knows that inside I'm a good person, and with the right work, I can make things a lot better, just like an onion cooked in the right way can make food taste great. The first time I heard that, it insulted me a little. But I quickly got over it. Chester jokes that each day, one of my hard layers falls off and the soft inside shows a little more, also like an onion.

Where does he get these ideas? You know, sometimes I think you have to be a little weird to become a priest. Just a little.

But anyway, the point is that I never fully became a nun. I was in training from the age of 16 to 24, but I just couldn't handle it. I didn't want to live the rest of my life cooped up in that stuffy, prayerful Abbey. So I left. The nuns understood my predicament, and gave me a bit of money, but it was nowhere near what I needed.

Chester found me in a bar one night, drinking. I hated my life. I wanted to drink myself dead. But now that Ches gave me a new life, it's hard to believe that I ever wanted to kill myself. It's not my dream life, but it keeps me healthy and happy.

And so here I am today. I've traveled with Chester for 6 years, from church to church all across the world. The deal was, I'd help out with work, and he'd give me food, a place to stay, and an allowance. It's not much, but hey, it keeps me happy. I wouldn't wanna be like those spoiled brat people, anyway.

The one thing I'm complemented for, though, is my smarts. It's not much to brag about, but I've got a pretty complex mind. I was a gifted child. I flew through school, and completed high school two years earlier. I used the two years I had left to take college courses and expand my knowledge. It didn't get me very far, but I like that I have an extensive knowledge.

I carefully packed my suitcase, and walked down the stairs of the old church to meet Chester. A taxi was waiting for us, with Ches and the driver already sitting inside.

"All set, Ches, let's go," I said hopping into the car and buckling my seat belt. I have to admit, I like cars. The nuns in the Abbey did not own cars, nor did they ride in them. "Walking" was the only form of transportation. And Chester, being a priest, was no rich man. This was only the third time being in a car my entire life.

Oh well. At least I can say I have good stamina from walking everywhere as a kid.

I stared out the window silently with my chin resting on my hand, while I watched the old church become smaller and smaller in the distance. But I wasn't sad. I was used to moving from church to church. The question was, would I like the people in the town.

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><p>Comments?<p>

There's more to come soon!


	2. Leaf Valley

Second Chapter is up! Hope you enjoy Aurelia. She's a feisty one.

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><p><strong>Peter's POV<strong>

"What a dump!" I said to myself, standing in front of my grandfather's farm in Leaf Valley.

It's true. I guess old grandpa couldn't keep up with it. It was garbage. I felt silly even parking my car next to it. My shiny, new 25,000 dollar car definitely looked out of place.

I ran my fingers through my hair, and sighed. What was I going to do?

I didn't have time to ponder long though, because two people, a man and a woman, came walking by.

"Do you live here?" I heard the woman's voice ask. I realized she was probably talking to me, and turned around. I nearly jumped. They had creped up right behind me!

The woman looked older than me, but not by much. She was slender, tall, and had pink hair. Pink Hair! And I mean bright, hot pink. She was accompanied by an older man, probably about 45 or so, who was dressed in a long robe, and had round thin glasses.

"Ya, I live here, you got a problem with that?" I responded rudely to the woman.

"No, but you seem to," the woman countered, narrowing her eyes.

I didn't like this girl at all. She had an attitude! "It's none of your freakin' business."

"Watch it, jackass!" The woman stepped forward a little, as if she was getting ready for a fight.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," the man said, stepping in between us. "Aurelia, stop it. A grown woman like you should not be treating people like this. Respect your neighbour, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah," Aurelia muttered. Aurelia? What kind of name was that?

"Sorry, my good sir," the man said to me, "Please excuse Aurelia, she's in a rather rough mood."

I nodded to the man, and scowled at Aurelia.

"It's good to meet you. I'm Peter." I held out my hand.

"Ah, hello Peter, I am Chester, the new priest here. I was wondering if you would be so kind as to give us directions to the church."

"Uh, yeah, just go north, past the grocery store and the café, and you'll hit it."

"Thank you Peter. Come along now Aurelia."

Chester grabbed her arm, and pulled her along. She turned around once to look at me, giving me a dirty look. I gave her one right back.

What a psychopath.

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><p><strong>Aurelia's POV<strong>

What a jackass. An insecure, weird, immature, insensitive jackass. I hate this town already.

When we arrived at the church and put away our belongings, Chester scolded me for being so rude. He said that if I wanted to stay under his roof, I had to shape up.

Huh. Sounds just like something a parent would say, eh? Too bad I don't have any parents. So I grudgingly agreed to treat Peter with "respect".

Chester knew I was in a bad mood, and though he knew nothing about women, he could see I needed some time. So he proposed that I go and meet the other villagers. Well, actually, proposed isn't the right word. He basically made me, and said it would be good for me. I just hope the other villagers are better than the asshole I met on the way here.

I went south first, and introduced myself to Wallace at the café. He was a nice old man. If I could've been related to him, I'd wish he was my grandfather. Who I really didn't like was Katie, his 16 year old daughter. She looked at me like I was a freak, and didn't stop giving me dirty looks until I said, "Hey kid! I'm almost twice your age. Show some respect!" She was taken aback, and looked pretty bummed out that she didn't the better of me.

After leaving the café, I went further south and introduced myself to Ronald, the owner of the grocery store. He seemed like a nice enough guy. Except that all he could talk about was fruits and vegetables, and what is healthier, and what foods clean out your intestines, and what foods help you poop better, and so on.

Needless to say, I moved on pretty quickly.

I wandered west, and came to what looked like the centre of the island. There was a sign that said "Plaza" and pointed towards a big cement brick area that was elevated a few feet. It had stairs leading up to it all around. Probably for festivals and stuff.

Around the Plaza, there were many pathways, each leading to another part of the village. I took the one that said "Flower/Item Shop". I've always liked flowers. Most people wouldn't think so judging by my personality, but I think they are one of the most beautiful things in life.

Once there, I introduced myself to Lyla, the owner of the flower shop. She was a bit of an eccentric woman. She had pink hair, like me, but it was a lighter rose pink. She said "tee-hee" after almost everything she said, had a smile that looked like it was plastered on her face, and she twirled around in circles at random times. I wondered if she was always like this, or if she was just a little high on LSD.

After the Flower Shop, I moved across the path to the Item Store. Nothing interesting happened there, really. Louis, the inventor who owned the place, was shy and didn't talk much. And when he did say something, it was just about a new invention he was working on.

And so I moved on. I went west and ended up at a farm, but it was in much better shape than Mr. Jackass's. Bob worked there, a buff, muscular guy with a lot of tattoos. He looked about 25 years old. After I introduced myself, I asked to see the horses. Horses have always been my favourite animal. I've had a passion for horseback riding ever since I can remember. Unfortunately, in my messed up life, I've only ridden a horse twice.

Bob must have sensed my love for the beautiful creatures, so he proposed a deal. He said that if I worked for him twice a week here at the farm, he would give me my own choice of one of the horses at the beginning of summer. He said the horse would stay at the farm, but I would be able to ride it, pet it, brush it, and visit it whenever I wanted to.

What awesome news, eh? My day was looking up. By this time, I had almost forgotten how much I wanted to punch Peter Jackass in the face.

And so I agreed to the deal. Tomorrow would be my first shift. The northern path from the farm led me back to the plaza. I took a quick look at the horse race track north of it, and the beach west of it. Other than that, I had only two more places to go. Clove Villa, and the Carpenter's.

I chose Clove Villa first, mostly because of my curiosity to find out what it was. A shop? Another farm? A forest? I dunno.

Turns out, it was a house. Sort of. Martha, a nurse lived there with nurse-in-training Gina. They were both pretty nice. Also in the house lived Dia, an orphan who was under the watch of Martha. She was 18 years old, but apparently very sick. Martha didn't get into details. The place also had a small hospital room, which I guessed was for if you got sick. It didn't really matter for me though. I have a strong immune system, and haven't been sick for over 5 years.

I walked to the Carpenter's next. It was getting darker now. From the sun, I guessed it was about 5 o'clock. I was glad this was my last stop, because I was getting tired.

At the Carpenter's, I met Woody, the head carpenter, and his two apprentices, Joe and Kurt. Joe, a preppy 19 year old, was really nice and friendly. I guessed he had a lot of friends. Kurt on the other hand was the silent type, but much more muscular and handsome. He didn't tell me his age, but I guessed about 22. Woody told me they were brothers.

Meeting the carpenters was also very helpful, because they showed me where the woods were, to get my own lumber. I knew it would make Ches happy, because lumber could be used to fix up the church.

It turns out that, if you go north from the Carpenter's, you pass Pike Mountain, the mines, and the Goddess Spring, and end up right back at Mallard Lake, where our church sits. What a coincidence. I walked back into the church to find Chester. He had some supper saved for me in the fridge, and was glad to hear about my day.

I turned in early, tired from all that walking. I could hardly sleep though, because I was too excited for tomorrow, when I would work for Bob. I loved the thought of just being around horses.

But what I hoped more than anything, was that I wouldn't run into Peter Jackass again tomorrow.

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><p>Good so far? I'm working on the third chapter right now. I hope to post soon. Thanks for reading! :D<p> 


	3. First Shift

This chapter was fun to write! I enjoy Aurelia's personality.

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><p><strong>Peter's POV<strong>

Ok. I've decided what I'm going to do. At first, I hadn't realized the true meaning my dad saying "take over the farm". I thought I was just supposed to keep it clean, watch the animals, and maybe grow some crops here and there. Easy, right?

Well, not really. Turns out, there were no animals. My grandfather must have sold them when he realized he was getting too old to run the farm. The soil was dry and light, and looked as though it hadn't been used in years.

You may think that I could just forget about the barn and the crop field, and just focus on getting the house fixed up. But, the fact is, you need money to fix a house. And I didn't have any. Sure, I had some money stored away from previous jobs, but I was saving that for the rest of my life. The life I was supposed to be living now.

And so, the solution couldn't be plainer. I needed animals, I needed crops, and I needed money to bring this farm back to what it used to be. I guess you might say that I could have just ignored it, and lived in the smelly dump hole, but I knew there was no way I'd get used to it.

Face it. My family was rich. They still are. All through my childhood I've lived in a clean house, getting everything I wanted. My grandfather was the only one who refused the busy city to live out his passion for farming. I know, what an idiot. I don't mean to insult my grandpa, but it's as plain as anyone can see.

From a long night of consideration, I've decided I need to start with the animals, since it's too late in the season to start growing crops for a harvest. Remembering my way around the village from my young visits to grandpa's, I made my way to Starling Ranch. I wasn't sure who I'd find working there. After all, I hadn't been here in about 7 years. When I turned 17, I used the excuse that I was too busy with school work, or getting ready for college. In a last resort to see his one and only grandson, my grandfather came to the city to visit. And it was like that for 7 years.

I guess you can say that I was pretty surprised to see who worked there, but then, I realized it made perfect sense. I knew the guy as soon as I walked in. I had played with him as a child here.

"Yo! Bobby! Man, long time no see!"

Bob looked at me, and narrowed his eyes as he tried to figure out who I was.

"C'mon, man, you can't forget Pee-Man!" I said, knowing he would recognize the stupid nickname he used to call me.

"Peter? No–no. It can't be! What the hell are you doing here, bro?" I knew I had surprised him.

"Ya, it's me Bobby. I'm livin' at my old grandpa's farm now. I promised my dad I'd take care of it while he finds someone else to take over it."

"You know, most people call me Bob now," he said laughing. "But I guess Bobby's cool too. If you still like Pee-Man!"

"Haha, ok, ok, I'll call ya Bob. It probably ain't that great to have Pee-Man as a nickname. Especially when I'm 24," I replied laughing.

"So, what can I do for ya, Pete?"

"Well, I'm kind of in a predicament," I said. "You see, my grandfather left me with nothing. No animals, to crops, and a worn down house. I was lookin' for a job to make some money to fix up the farm. And I remember when I was a kid, I'd come here, and your father would pay me to brush the horses and stuff."

"Oh. Ya, sure man. But, uh, I've already got someone back there now tending to the horses. You could feed the cows and milk 'em if you want, though. Same job, really."

Cows. A little harder that horses, but I was desperate. "Sure Bob, thanks. You're a life saver."

"No problem! And wait, there's more. If you work for me two days a week for the rest of spring, I'll give you a cow to take to your ranch so you can sell its milk for money. Sound good?"

A cow was just what I needed to restart the ranch. "Ya, man, Thanks!"

Bob showed me the way out to the back and into the field. "I got a girl workin' for me two days a week. Monday and Thursday. Those are the only shifts I got. If ya want, I can schedule you in those days for the cows. I'd pay you real good too. 500 grams a week."

That was a start. I'd have to see later if I could work my magic on him and get myself a raise. But for now, I took the deal.

I walked out to where the girl was brushing a horse in the middle of the field. She was wearing worn out jeans and a tight shirt that showed her hips and breasts. Ya, this was my kind of girl. She had a big straw hat on, so I couldn't see if her hair was blond, brown or black. That is until I got closer.

"Hey there! Nice to meet you, I'm Peter!" I said waving a hand in the air. I was about twenty feet away from her, but I could see clearly. As soon as she turned around, and took off her hat, my eyes went big. She had PINK hair.

It was that freak girl. Angela. No, Aubrey. No Abigail. Ugh. I don't know.

She recognized me and glared. I came closer. "Hey jackass," was her reply.

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><p><strong>Aurelia's POV<strong>

I knew I'd gotten the better of him as soon as I called him that. His face turned red, and his eyes turned to daggers. I was disappointed that he didn't use a comeback. Arguments were fun.

"Whatsa matter?" I asked in a fake tone. "Cat got your tongue?"

That made him even madder. "Shut up bitch," he replied.

"Hey, hey there's no need to be rude," I said keeping up the fake tone in my voice. "I'm just trying to be friends."

He turned away from me, putting his hands on the top of his head. His muscles bulged impressively as he did that.

"Ugh. Of all people!" he yelled. "Of all the freakin' people in this damn forsaken town, I have to work with you!"

"That's right buster," I replied with a smug smile on my face. I went back to brushing my horse.

He sighed and muttered, "Whatever," as he walked over to the cows. He was right. Of all people, why did I have to work with him? It was frustrating, just frustrating.

We worked in silence for a while, as the sun rose higher in the sky. Peter was milking a cow right next to the horse I was brushing. I had my back to him. All of a sudden, I felt a wet stream on my back, and turned around. The stream moved to my face.

"Ack! What the hell?" I demanded looking at Peter. I knew he had sprayed me with milk.

"Sorry Angela. Hand slipped." He turned back towards the cow, but I could see the smile rise from his lips.

"My name is Aurelia," I said turning back to my horse. I'd only been brushing for a few minutes when I felt more milk on my back.

"Stop freakin' squirting me with the milk!" I yelled.

Peter held his hands up innocently. "Ok, Ok, calm down, Aubrey. Sheesh."

"My name is AURELIA!"

He stuck his tongue out at me.

That was it. I couldn't take it anymore. Yes, I know, my temper is short, but I can't help it. I was born that way. And Peter was born a jackass. I wondered how well he would take a punch in the face.

I walked over to him and kicked the bucket he was sitting on, making him fall to the ground. When he got back up, he brushed himself off, and gave me an 'it's on' look.

"What? You really think you can hurt me? You're a skinny little girl. This ain't your fight," he taunted.

Little did he know, I had studied karate for two years.

I threw a fake punch, hoping he would fall for it. He ducked under my punch with an arrogant look on face. What a show off. I didn't really care though, because he fell right into my trap. Off balance from ducking, I grabbed the collar of his t-shirt with one hand and swept my leg out, tripping him. He fell to the ground right on his butt.

I laughed, making him madder. He rose slowly, and circled me once.

"Well, if that's how you want it, Abigail. I was just going easy on you." He lashed out two double punches to my face.

I used my knowledge of blocking and simply stepped to the side. He came at me again, this time harder and faster. I blocked his punch to my face, and grabbed his arm with the same hand. I then twisted it outward, making him cry out in pain and succumb to my pressure. He fell to his knees.

When he got up again, he didn't even think about punching. He narrowed his eyes and charged for me. Luckily, I knew how to deal with that too.

I fell to the ground, keeping my leg out to trip him. When he went down, I rolled on top of him and straddled him with my legs. I threw a punch to his face for each letter of my name as I spelled it out.

"My name is AURELIA! A-U-R-E-L-I-A! Remember that!" I climbed off of him and kicked his side. "And you don't know what girls are capable of. Be thankful I didn't kick you in the balls. You would _die_ from the pain."

He stared at me as I walked away. I dropped my horse brush off at Bob's counter, and set off for Mallard Lake. It was almost lunch time and I was hungry.

The good thing about that whole ordeal was that I didn't have to worry about getting in trouble or losing my job. An arrogant guy like Peter would never, ever tell Bob he was beaten up by a girl. Especially me.

A small smile crept over my face as I thought about how my next shift on Thursday would go.

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><p>Thanks for reading! More to come soon.<p> 


	4. The Bet

I really liked writing this chapter!**  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Peter's POV<strong>

I hated her. I hated her, I hated her, and I hated her. And I hated her more.

That ass. She knew I could've taken her. I could sense her fear. I was just a little tired from all the commotion of leaving college to move to a crummy old farm.

She thinks she's so smart and tough. I hated that smug smile she gave me after she kicked my side. I had a huge bruise there. Not to mention the bigger bruise on my butt.

I wanted her to die. Ok, maybe not die, but certainly move far, far away so that I would never have to see her again. And to think that I have to work with her for the rest of spring! There's still two and a half weeks left!

I just hoped Thursday will be better. For the time being, I hung around the house, not sure about what to do. Bob doesn't pay his workers until the end of the week, so I had no money yet.

I decided to take a walk around town and introduce myself to the villagers. I was sure they would remember me. I walked north to the café, the place my grandpa would always take me for lunch. As I walked in the door, I came face to face with a young girl, about 16. Her nametag said "Katie".

"Hi Katie, I'm Peter," I said extending my hand.

She shook it nervously, and looked away. She was probably shy. I had that effect on women.

I quickly moved on towards the counter. Wallace was there. I remembered him from my childhood and said hello to him. It took him a few seconds, but he remembered me too.

"Peter! How are you, sonny? Boy, it's been a long time. What brings you here?" he asked.

"Well," I replied, "as you know, my grandfather recently passed away, and my father asked me to watch over the farm until he can find someone who wants to buy it. I'm just here for a year."

"Oh, is that so?" Wallace seemed disappointed. "That's rather sad. I do hope you'll stay longer. We missed you when you stopped visiting." He paused. "And my, my, you've changed. Such a handsome boy now."

"Uhh, thanks," I said, a little embarrassed. It was weird having a man tell you how handsome you were. "Anyway, it's nice to see you again. I should go though; there are a lot of people I still haven't said hello to."

"Well you'd best be on your way! See you around, sonny," Wallace said.

I walked out the door and came face to face with a woman. She had violet eyes and blond hair strung up in a ponytail. She was wearing tight jeans that showed her hips, and a tight tank top that hung low.

You know what I was thinking. This was my kind of girl. I extended a hand and introduced myself.

"Hey, my name's Peter. What's yours? No wait, lemme guess. Beautiful?" I said, playing one of my favourite pick ups.

"Hey, I'm Gwen. And thanks for the compliment," she said smiling, and shaking my hand.

"So, then Gwen," I said pausing. "Where's the boyfriend? No one as hot as you walks around single."

She gave me a sly smile and replied, "Well, I must be the first. I'm single, but after seeing you, I dunno if I wanna be anymore."

I smiled. "Wanna go out tomorrow?"

"Where?"

"Anywhere you want, beautiful."

Gwen looked at me with intense eyes. "Bob has a lot of horses. We could go horseback riding. Do you know how?"

"I've ridden a few times. I'll catch on."

"So, see you there around… 3?" Gwen asked hopefully.

"You got it, beautiful."

I watched her as she walked past me into the café, and then I set out south to my farm.

As I walked around a tree, I came face to face with _her_.

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><p><strong>Aurelia's POV<strong>

"You again," I muttered as I almost bumped into Peter on my way back to Mallard Lake.

"What, you didn't get enough? Want another punch?"

"There's no crime in walking, Arlie," I replied.

"Aurelia. And I know, I was just teasing. Seems like you don't know a joke from reality."

Peter scowled at me. "Whatever. Move."

There was a tight space between the bushes we were standing in. The thing about Leaf Valley was that nearly every place was blocked off by bush. A narrow path was all that led you in and out.

"No," I replied. If this guy wasn't going to be nice to me, I wasn't going to be nice to him.

"C'mon just get out of my way. I need to go home now."

I waited, silently crossing my arms over my chest. He finally got the message.

"Can you move, _please_?" he asked.

"There's the word!" I exclaimed as I moved aside. "Have a nice day Jackass!"

Peter stopped in his tracks and turned around. "Will you _please_ stop calling me jackass?"

"As soon as you get my name right, buster," I replied with a smug smile.

He sighed. "Fine. Aurelia, will you please stop calling me jackass and teasing me?"

"Sure thing kiddo!" I loved playing this game. He was really getting mad.

"Look, I'm not a kid! I'm as old as you, maybe older!"

Wow. Did I look that young? "That's what you think. Bet you can't guess my age."

Peter narrowed his eyes at my request, and then said, "Bet I can. What do you want to bet?"

I pretended to think about it. "10 bucks," I said. That was all I had in my wallet. Not that he would get my age right anyway. "You get three tries. And it has to be right on."

"How do I know you won't lie to me," Peter asked.

I pulled out my birth certificate from my wallet and waved it in the air, making sure he couldn't see the front.

"Ok, fine," he said. "You are… twenty-four."

"Nope."

"Twenty-six?"

"No."

"Twenty-two."

"Not even close. Ooops, you're out of guesses. Pay up!" I said looking him right in the eye.

"Wait. Tell me your age first."

I handed my birth certificate over to Peter. He took it, touching my hand at the same time. I watched as he calculated my age from my date of birth.

"Wha… no. You can't be thirty!" Peter looked sincerely astonished.

I chuckled. "Do you think the certificate is fake?"

I think a small smile hit Peter's lips as he handed it back to me. "No, I believe you. But you don't look it." He handed me a 10 dollar bill and started to walk away.

"Was that a complement I just heard?" I called to him.

"No. Just an observable fact," he called back. I smiled. That was definitely a complement. I just didn't know if I wanted one from _him_.

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><p>It's coming along, please keep reading!<p> 


	5. Date with Music

Ok, so here's the next chapter. Not much happens, but it leads to other things in upcoming chapters. Hope you enjoy.

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><p><strong>Peter's POV<strong>

I was so excited. It's really not that hard to guess why. I had a date with a pretty girl! Yeah!

In fact, I was so excited that I got all my work done before 11:00. Not that I had much to do. I had no animals yet, and I wasn't growing nay crops until next season. I fed the local dog, because I was trying to get him to warm up to me, so I could adopt him. I always wanted a dog.

After I met Gwen, I didn't feel like meeting anyone else so I called it a day and went home. Plus, talking with Aurelia always tires me out.

With four hours to spare, I started walking toward the plaza, knowing I wanted to go to the carpenters. I wanted to see if I could work for some lumber to fix up my house. The first person I saw was a young guy, younger than me, chopping wood in front of the building. Behind him was an older guy, probably about my age.

"Hey!" I called to them, waving. They both turned around.

The younger one smiled almost at once and ran down the slope to meet me. The other followed behind slowly.

"Hey, I'm Joe! You're Peter right?" The younger guy asked.

"Uh…ya, how did you know?"

"Kurt here, my brother, knows you. Said you used to play together as kids."

I looked at the quiet guy next to him and recognized him immediately. He gave me a half smile and extended his hand.

"Hey. I'm Kurt. Remember me?"

I shook his hand. "Hell ya! Dude, I haven't seen you in forever!" Kurt was one of my best friends here as a child, apart from Bob. He was always the quiet one, never doing anything risky or getting into trouble. He was the good kid of the group. I had always thought he'd move outta this town the first chance he got, but I guess I was wrong.

"So what're you still doing here? I thought you wanted to be a city man!"

"Nah," replied Kurt, "Did once, but I found a great payin' job here at Woody's. Plus my brother here is a baby and would cry if I left."

"Would not!" Joe said sarcastically and pretended to cry. I laughed. He was funny as a baby too. I remember going to Kurt's house and playing tricks on Joe all the time.

"So anyway," Kurt continued, "I'm sorry about your grandfather, man. Sucks. I hear you're taking over his farm."

"Ya, well, for now. Not really something I wanted to do, but…" I created an awkward silence.

"Anyway, I had a question to ask. Think I could cut down some lumber in the forest maybe soon? I need to fix up the house."

Kurt answered, "Ya, sure Peter, no problem. Come over anytime. Forest's always open to you."

"Thanks guys, see ya 'round." I turned to leave. I would go cut down trees some other town. I didn't want to get sweaty before my date.

I went home and took a shower. I shaved and put on some of m best cologne. Then I set off for Bob's.

Gwen had beaten me there, and was already fixing up her horse. "Hey beautiful!" I called.

She looked up at me with those pretty violet eyes. "Hey Peter. Bob said you could ride Nessie." She pointed to the pretty white horse beside hers. I saddled her up, remembering how from my experiences with grandpa. And then we were off. Bob said we could take them anywhere in Leaf Valley, but not outside the town.

I suggested we take a ride by the Goddess Spring and head down to Pike Mountain. It was the perfect place for talking and very romantic.

As we rode, she told me about her life, and how she moved to Leaf Valley two years ago. In turn, I told her I was willingly taking over my grandfather's farm. I bit of a white lie, but hey, I would stay here my whole life if she stayed here.

As we approached Pike Mountain, we heard music. Ocarina music. I know, because it has a very unique sound. My grandpa used to play it all the time, and had even taught me at one point. I wasn't sure I remembered how anymore.

We rode on, eager to find the music maker. I only had to peek around the corner to know. There was no hiding that pink hair.

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><p><strong>Aurelia's POV<strong>

I had played the ocarina since I was a child. One of the nuns at the Abbey had taught me. And even though I really didn't care for that place, there was something about the music that I couldn't give up. I loved it.

As I played my favourite tune, one I wrote myself, I heard footsteps behind me. Rather, I heard hoof steps. I turned to see two people on horses round the corner. One was Gwen, a young woman I had seen around, and the other was…well…I regret to say it was Peter, for the second time that day. I turned back around and started playing my ocarina, ignoring both of them as they walked past.

"Oh Hey! You're Angie, right?" Gwen called to me.

"Uh, no, I'm Aurelia. Nice to meet you."

"You too. So, do you think you could move?" Gwen asked in a fake polite way.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Peter and I wanted to chat here, and you're here, so we can't chat."

"Well, go somewhere else!" I replied a little rudely. "I was here first!"

"C'mon, Aurelia, please?" Peter asked. I guess I had taught him some manners.

"You've no right to come here and kick me out. This is not your property."

"I asked nicely!"

"No." I wasn't giving in.

"Fine then," he said. "She won't bother us Gwen, let's go sit over here." They parked their horses and put a blanket down on the ground. They only lasted for a minute before they began making out right in front of me. I turned my back.

I was finally so disgusted by the noises they were making that I just left. I couldn't take people making out in public.

I headed back to Mallard Lake, and continued to play my music over the water. Chester came out and joined in with his flute in harmony. We played for a good hour, not really thinking about anything, and then we decided to turn in for supper.

I cooked steak and mashed potatoes and left Ches to eat alone in my bedroom. It was when I was just turning out the light to go to sleep when I realized I forgot my sweater at Pike Mountain. Whatever... I'd get it tomorrow.

I went to sleep and dreamed that I became an assassin and shot Peter while he was sleeping.

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><p>Next one to come soon. Sorry this chapter was a little boring.<p> 


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